Various arrangements are known to clamp a flexible printing plate on the plate cylinder of a rotary printing machine, see for example, German Patent 1 196 213. A slot or groove is customarily cut into the plate cylinder, extending axially therein. A rotatable rod or spindle is, for example, located within the groove. The spindle may have a slot formed therein into which the trialing end of the printing plate can be gripped. The spindle clamps the leading edge of the printing plate against the edge of the groove. Typically, the leading edge of the plate is bent over in hook-like form. The trailing end of the printing plate is formed with a double bend. The portion forming the end region of the plate is placed in the groove or slot of the spindle.
This arrangement has a disadvantage in that the groove within the cylinder must be comparatively wide so that, upon release of the tension on the spindle, the printing plate can be readily and rapidly removed. Clamping the printing plate in the rotary spindle has an additional disadvantage in that the trailing end of the printing plate can be so deformed that re-use of the printing plate may not be possible. Such deformation may set in the printing plate and interferes with removal and re-use.